My Six Month Newsieversary!

Last Friday was a really exciting day! It was officially 6 months from the first time I saw Newsies on Broadway, which led to an amazing six months of seeing the show 17 times. I averaged seeing the show about three times a month. Granted, most of those views came during the summer (specifically during June), but it has been an amazing journey.

This show inspires me, and touches my heart every time. Each of the 17 times that I have seen Newsies has been a new and special experience. I fall in love with the show over and over again. The actors put so much effort into their performance night after night, day after day, and they truly put it all out there for the audience and the Fansies (sometimes, a little more literally…like when Ryan Steele & Andy Richardson ripped their pants).

The actors are also all ridiculously sweet outside of the theatre. They never act annoyed at fans coming up to them, and they are sweet and often reply and retweet them on twitter. They are truly an example of what people in the limelight can be like. These actors are role models for people across the country, and, despite a few slip ups every now and then, they are people to be admired.

Newsies is the story of a rag-tag group of ragamuffins aiming to take on the behemoth Pulitzer. It’s a David and Goliath story that reminds the youth that despite their young age, they too can impact the world.

The music is catchy and makes you want to get up and move. It encourages you to keep going, to make changes, and to fight for what you believe in and what you deserve.

Six months and seventeen shows later, I still get the same excited butterflies in my stomach before the show. I’m eagerly awaiting the start of the show each time, and I can’t wait to feel the emotions of the actors every step of the way.

My six month Newsieversary show was absolutely amazing. The audience laughed, cried, and applauded every step of the way. The cast brought their A+++ game, and nailed every moment of the show.

Highlights from the night:

• Discovering that Bree and I had already seen the same show at least once. July 2, 2012. An important one…Brendon Stimson’s Broadway debut, and the first time that Jeremy Jordan did not go on as Jack Kelly.
• Seeing another show with Bree, on purpose this time
• Having a true Newsies celebration–Schnippers and Schmackary’s!
• During his bow, Corey Cott hesitated because he saw me. He pointed at me and smiled. Continued his bow and waved at me as he left the stage.
• Kara Lindsay waved at me as she left the stage.
• Jess LeProtto commented on how awesome my seat was.
• At the stage door, I got pictures with Corey Cott and Ben Fankhauser.
• After the stage door, Corey walked past Bree and I, and said thanks for coming, see you guys next time. (He knows there will be a next time).
• Dance Moms were there…which meant nothing to me, but made the night awesome for the cast!

Corey Cott and I – September 28, 2012

Ben Fankhauser and I – September 28, 2012

Schmackary’s from Bree!

6 Month Newsieversary Playbill

Look for a couple of posts featuring all my memorabilia leading up to my six month Newsieversary!!!

Flashback – Newsies #8

 

Originally, when I started posting Flashback posts, I wanted to rehash all 16 Newsies performances that I have seen. I quickly realized that it would be overkill for my blog, for me, and for anyone crazy enough to try to read all of my posts. So I decided I would just get through what I could, and I’d share more the week before my one year anniversary (which better happen, Disney. Why are you only selling tickets through March 17th? March 28th is not all that far off, AND then you’d have a year run under your belt. Whatever, though. I’m not complaining).

At any rate, I only got to my 8th performance. Which means I’ve only shown you half of the performances that I’ve seen since my first time. Which is convenient for a couple of reasons.

1. I’m pretty sure I’ve officially shared all of my stage door pictures with you guys. Which is good, right?
2. These were the performances that I didn’t always write a blog post for, so that means that you have now gotten a little taste of every Newsies show I’ve seen.
3. My eighth time seeing Newsies was July 2, 2012.

To those of you who aren’t a “Newsies Stalker” (thanks, Mommy) or, as the cast calls me, an “Ultimate Fansie” (I knew I liked you guys for a reason), July 2nd is a very important date in Newsies the Musical history. It’s the first time that Jeremy Jordan DID NOT GO ON AS JACK KELLY.

WHAT!?!?! I know. You’re probably still confused. It also marks Brendon Stimson’s Jack Kelly debut. Since today is his birthday, that’s a pretty interesting coincidence, right? The last show I share with you in honor of my 6 month Newsieversary is the one where today’s birthday boy made his Jack Kelly debut.

It gets better. My first time seeing the show, 6 months ago, was also a special day in Newsies the Musical history. Why? Because Kara Lindsay (who plays Katherine Plumber) did not, in fact, perform on March 28th. Her understudy, Laurie Veldheer, went on without a put-in-rehearsal for the Broadway show under her belt.

That’s enough of the fun facts, I think.

Time for some picture flashbacks!!!

 

Flashback – Newsies #5

My fifth time seeing Newsies was June 6, 2012. My assistant basketball coach from high school had been visiting NYC, and he had taken his family and I to see Phantom of the Opera.

Of course, I was already solidly a fansie of Newsies the musical (the movie had long ago become one of my passions), and might be one of the only people to walk out of a Phantom show (in this case, a matinee), with “Santa Fe” stuck in their head. Actually, I’m probably one of the only people to walk out of a Phantom show with anything other than Phantom stuck in their head.

It conveniently was a few minutes before the Newsies Lottery opened, and I had just bid farewell to my coach and his family, so I strolled over to the lottery, and got the chance to see Newsies again.

I don’t know if there were any swings on for that performance because I don’t have my Playbill with me right now.

Flashback – Newsies #4

I can’t remember exactly why I decided to go see Newsies for my fourth time.

I think it might have been because I had just gotten the CD of pictures from my parents’ visit, and there were some of Brendon’s mom and me (I had randomly met her in Times Square with my parents). I think I had wanted to give the pictures to Brendon to give his mom. I don’t know for sure though.

Let’s be honest…that doesn’t even matter. The point is that I did see Newsies for the fourth time (most likely because I wanted to) and that it was on May 11, 2012. At this performance, I got to see both of the swings on! Go Michael and Jack!

Michael Fatica was on for Ryan Steele (Specs!). Jack Scott was on for Ephraim Sykes (Mush–”I don’t know about that, but we sure scared the bejeebees out of Weisel!).

Flashback! – Newsies #3

 

I’m going to keep sharing my Newsies flashbacks with you guys this week. I’m so excited about Friday! My six month Newsies-Versary is coming up so quickly! I can hardly believe it!!!

My third time seeing the show was April 20, 2012. It was the night before I was headed to California for a visit, and I was pretty stressed about the trip. This was the same trip where I would be giving a speech in front of a bunch of important people at my alma mater, and  I would be one of the least experienced speakers at this event. Suffice to say, I struggled writing my speech. If any one remembers my post about that, I think I spent a good couple of days listening to Watch What Happens on repeat. So of course, it got quoted in my speech, and it turned out to be a bit of a hit (much to my surprise). You can read my speech here if you’re interested in the awesomeness that comes from quoting Kara Lindsay’s Newsies song (My topic was Inclusive Community. I could have gone another way with Newsies references, and maybe one day I will. I mean think about it…”For the sake of all the children…” Yeah, that could be really good.)

Anyway, for my third time seeing the show, Alyssa won the lottery! I don’t think there were any swings or understudies on that night (My apologies if there were. I don’t have any understudy slips tucked into my Playbill from that night, and I usually save those).

 

Flashback – Newsies #2

 

 

In honor of my 6-month Anniversary of seeing Newsies on Broadway, I’m sharing some old stage door pictures, because I keep flipping through them. And they make me happy. So here we have Newsies #2 – March 30, 2012 matinee. I SROed this show with Caitlyn, a former member of my community who happened to be visiting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flashback!

The end of this week is a really exciting day for me. It’s my SIX MONTH NEWSIES-VERSARY! Which is, of course, way more exciting than I can ever express. I waited for this show for YEARS! YEARS I TELL YOU! YEARS!

It finally came to be on September 15, 2011 at the Papermill Playhouse in New Jersey.

Which was great. It really was. But I wanted MORE! This show deserved better. It had a great message, an inspiring story, and had been considerably fixed up from it’s movie days. I dreamed of Broadway. Not for myself, of course. I can’t sing or dance, and I don’t know enough about acting. I dreamed a dream of Broadway for the show, the movie, the story that made me believe in the impossible.

It was announced around Thanksgiving 2011 that Newsies would make the leap across the river to Broadway, and I felt my dreams coming true. IT WAS HAPPENING! WHILE I WAS IN NYC!!!

I first saw the Broadway version on March 28, 2012. It was the last preview performance for the show that would take New York by storm.

So today, in honor of this countdown to my SIX MONTH NEWSIES-VERSARY, I present to you pictures from my first time seeing Newsies. Hopefully you all enjoy them as much as I do.

Newsies September 4, 2012

In true Fansie fashion, I went to see Jeremy Jordan’s last show with Newsies, and it was amazing. He really brought a lot to the character, and I will miss him and his charming Newsie accent.

I wish Jeremy all the best with Smash! I can’t wait to see his “Brooklyn-born singer with a self-destructive streak” wow the rest of the world. Maybe he’ll even break out the Newsie accent for a little while…

Corey Cott Hits Broadway: August 8, 2012

August 8, 2012. Trust me, people, it’s a day to remember. It’s a day that a very recent Carnegie Mellon graduate made his Broadway début. If you know who I am talking about, I’m proud of you! If you don’t, learn this name:

COREY COTT

Got it? Good. Don’t forget it, because this guy is going to make huge waves on Broadway and in the acting world in general. He’s already started with his heart wrenching rendition of Santa Fé.

Let me tell you about my discovery of this amazing young man. See, the first time I saw him was August 2, 2012 at Newsies Softball. My first interaction with him was that same day, and actually happened before I even saw him.

He was warming up with the rest of the Newsies behind the stands, and he hit a softball…which then hit me in the head (no serious damage done…I grew up playing sports). Of course, he was a gentleman and apologized profusely, but I was on the phone with a friend who was coming to meet me, so I brushed it off like it was no big deal (because, well, it wasn’t).

Anyway, just under a week later, this charming young man made his Broadway début in Newsies, performing as Jack Kelly. His début was the matinée, which I didn’t get to go to (I was a Jersey Boys with another fansie), but I did make it to the evening show that night, when he also performed.

Can I just say that this guy is great? When he was on stage, he wasn’t an actor playing Jack Kelly. He was Jack Kelly, Newsie extraordinaire and blow-hard of the Newsies Union. He sang each song perfectly, and I felt so many emotions as he performed. Basically, Corey takes the things I loved about Christian Bale’s Jack Kelly and the things I loved about Jeremy Jordan’s Jack Kelly and combines them to make Jack Kelly.

In addition to being an amazing actor, this guy is very down to earth and is right there with all the other Newsies at the stage door. He’s such a sweetheart to each of his fans, and you can tell that he is genuinely appreciative of them being there and supporting him.

I’m glad I know who this guy is, and I’m excited to see him in Newsies many more times!

I’m really glad that Corey Cott is Jack Kelly!!!

Newsies August 3, 2012

Pictures from my 11th time seeing the show! It was (as always) amazing! Also, this was my first time seeing the show with JP Ferreri, and he did a really great job!